


Talking Out of Turn

by Deannie



Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: M/M, Mag7daybook Summer Stockings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-31
Updated: 2014-07-31
Packaged: 2018-02-11 02:12:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2049447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deannie/pseuds/Deannie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I ain’t up to small talk with my head pounding away like it is. Pounding’s getting faster and weaker and I know what that means. Means my blood’s about running out on me. Body only holds so much, after all. Guess if I’m dying, I might could say a few things need saying.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Talking Out of Turn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Huntersglenn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntersglenn/gifts).



> This is a sequel of sorts to [A Creeping Life](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2044467)

“Wasn’t too fucking smart, Tanner.” Barton looks down at me from the top of the mineshaft. “You’d’ve done better at the end of a rope than dying down there in the dark.

“Sorry to do you out of your rightful bounty, Francis!”

My own voice sounds rough and pissed which is fine ‘cause that’s exactly what I am.

And not too fucking smart. Smacked my head good on the way down here and I’m still seeing stars. Can’t focus on the hole in my gut from this angle, but it don’t feel good, either…

“Die slow, Tanner,” he yells back. “Maybe I’ll come back for your bones—in a month or so!”

Coward can’t even be bothered to go find a rope and haul me back out. Probably afraid I got a knife hidden somewhere. I do, of course. Not that it’ll get me out of this hole.

My stomach curls round itself and I fight the scream that wants to come out. Ain’t giving Barton the satisfaction, and the noise of it would likely take my head off, aching as it is.

What the hell was I thinking, making a run for it so near the mining shafts? Damn fool.

I’m hoping Chris’ll be along soon. I know Billy knew what I meant when I said, “Tell Chris I ain’t gonna be able to help him out with that fence. Got friends from Texas just rolled into town.” He’d’ve gone running to get his ma, who’d’ve sent someone out to the cabin. Billy knows any mention of Texas is a bad thing.

Damn dark in here, and this hole in my gut keeps on leaking.

“But hell,” I chuckle, freezing as my guts bunch up in pain again and my headache flares white hot, “at least it ain’t Tuscosa.”

 

I must have passed out or something, because it’s dark now. Full dark—I can see stars at the top of the damn hole.

Where the hell is Chris?

“Right here, Vin.”

I spin my head around quick enough to get dizzy and see Chris here with me. In the dark I can barely make him out, but I breathe a sigh of relief that turns into a groan of pain. God _damn_ this hurts!

“Easy, Vin,” Chris says. I feel his hand warm on my shoulder and it steadies me after a minute. “Nathan’ll be along soon.”

I snort, ignoring the pain this time. “Think I said that to you once,” I say quietly. “I think I was lying at the time.”

“You weren’t lying,” Chris shoots back. “He just took longer than we thought.” I can feel his shoulder shrug against me. “All worked out. I’m still here.”

“Not sure I’m going to be for long.” And I’m not. My bandana is shoved hard against my stomach, but it don’t seem to be doing much.

“You’ll make it,” he says, using that commanding voice of his. Like he can order me to pull through.

“Didn’t bring any whiskey with you, did you?” I’m pretty desperate for something at this point. “A handy club to knock me out, maybe?”

“Sorry, cowboy, you’re stuck with just me.”

“Hell, Larabee, I could spend a lifetime with just you.”

Shit.

He gives the silence a beat and clears his throat. “Billy rode out to the cabin like his butt was on fire and Buck and I came out after you.” His hand is just resting light on my shoulder now, and it’s damn comforting. “He’s gone back to get Nathan.”

“How’d you get down here?” Damn, it’s cold!

“Rope.”

I turn to shoot him an angry look. “God damn, Chris! You couldn’t’ve just hauled me up there?”

He bristles at it. “It’s a deep damn hole, Tanner—I had to drop down the last six feet. And you’re bleeding too bad.” His voice goes cautious and worried. “Figured I’d stay here with you—“

“In case Nathan don’t get here in time.”

He’s got nothing to say to that because it’s only the truth. My teeth are chattering now. Would it have killed him to bring a blanket?

“Glad you’re here with me, any road.”

That’s the truth, too.

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

His voice is deep and husky and I wish I could see him better. Almost sounds like he stayed out of more than friendship. God knows I would’ve, if he were the one lying here dying.

Silence stretches out between us for a while. He ain’t lying to me and promising I’ll be fine, and I ain’t up to small talk with my head pounding away like it is. Pounding’s getting faster and weaker and I know what that means. Means my blood’s about running out on me. Body only holds so much, after all.

Guess if I’m dying, I might could say a few things need saying.

“Reckon you know how I feel about you, Chris,” I start, kind of bold of me. But hell, I’m bleeding to death. Ain’t got nothing to lose at this point, do I?

I hear that smile in his voice—the one that goes straight to my nethers. “You ain’t known for subtle when it comes to that.”

I nod. Not subtle to him, anyway.

“Thank you,” I tell him truthfully. “Thanks for never, you know, throwing it in my face. Always figured one day you’d turn around and smack me down for it.”

He doesn’t answer, and I guess I didn’t expect him to.

“Figured one day I’d have the courage to tell you how I felt,” I continue. “Just never happened, I guess.”

“No day like today, I reckon,” he mutters softly.

Yeah, especially since I ain’t likely to see tomorrow.

“Ain’t gonna take ‘em long to get here,” he tells me, changing the subject right quick and trying to keep my hopes up—or maybe his own. I almost believe him. “Just hold on. Get some sleep if you can.”

“Can’t do nothing,” I gripe. Ma’d be “appalled” as Ezra would say. She never did cotton to whiners. “Freezing my ass off.”

He shifts me just enough to slide in behind me—which hurts like a bitch—and settles me back against him. It takes a while, but his body heat finally starts warming me up and I start to doze.

God damn, I’ve wanted his arms for forever, but not like this.

“It’s all going to be okay, Vin,” he whispers, breath soft in my ear. “Just sleep.”

“I really am glad you’re here, Chris,” I murmur back. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Rest, Vin,” he says, too quiet. There’s an edge of despair there that I figure is pretty fit to the situation.

Guess if I’m going to die, there’s worse places to do it than in his arms.

How God damn poetic is that?

 

It’s light when I wake, and I can’t move. I can’t feel a God damned thing.

“Chris?”

Shit, it’s hard to breathe.

“Chris?”

Eyes are open but nothing makes sense. I’m lying on the ground now, still at the bottom of the damn hole, and what little I can see makes it look like I’m alone. Hell, maybe I always was.

Guess it was all just wishful thinking.

Wish I could’ve told him what I told him down here, though. Just… let him know I really do feel that way. Don’t know what difference it would have made, but at least he’d know.

Damn it’s quiet down here.

Cold….

Never did want to die alone….

 

“VIN!?”

Buck. I fight to open my eyes, but there’s nothing left.

“Shit, Nathan, he’s here! I need a rope.”

Too damn late, Buck.

“Vin?”

Chris. You can go straight to hell. _It’s all gonna be okay,_ my ass.

“Vin, can you hear us? Nathan?”

“I can’t see nothing from here, Chris. We got rope enough?”

It’ll take more than one, Nathan.

“Looks like it’ll take more than one. I’m gonna need….”

 

Floating in this new darkness is somehow better than being in that hole—even if it _is_ hotter than hell. Or maybe it is _Hell_. I can hear Chris sometimes, and the others. Lots of Nathan and Buck and a little Ezra thrown in. Sometimes a little too much JD. Josiah’s soft and comforting praying…

I miss ‘em all something fierce. I miss Chris. Lord, I wish I’d been able to tell him how much he means to me.

Wish I knew how to get back…

 

“Vin? Come on now, high time you woke up for me.”

I crack an eyelid to give Nathan a glare. The light shoots bullets into my brain and Nathan’s in my face, worried as all get out.

“You with me, Vin?” I don’t scream as he helps me sit and piles something soft behind my back, and I mark that as a hell of an accomplishment, given how damn much I hurt.

Something sits on my bottom lip and I open my mouth and feel sweet warm water slide down my throat. Nathan being Nathan, he don’t give me near as much as I want.

“Gimme that back.” Ain’t sure that made sense at all, and I can’t move my arms good enough to grab the cup from him. Damn, I’m tired.

He gives me a big smile and sits back. “’Bout time you woke up.”

That’s the first time I think to look around, and I’m surprised to see the clinic.

“I’m home?” Somehow didn’t think I’d get here.

Nathan’s eyes go dark and worried. “Yeah. Had you back a few days now—not that you been in your right mind enough to notice.” He picks up another cup and I can already smell that it ain’t that horrible brew of his. Smells like beef broth and reminds me I’m hungry.

Nathan being Nathan again, I don’t get to drink near enough of that, either.

He looks me over and puts a hand on my forehead, then smiles tight. I guess that means I might live.

“How’s your head?”

I think about it. “Hurts.” Not as bad as before, though. “Think I’ll live.”

“You gonna be okay if I run downstairs a minute?” he asks. “Got a few people gonna shoot me if I don’t let ‘em know you’re awake.”

I nod careful and lay back on the pillows, closing my eyes as he races out of the room. His bootfalls stop right off and I smile. I could’ve told him he’d have at least one or two of ‘em sitting outside the door. Think he’d learn by now.

Heavy, dog-like footfalls crash down the stairs—Buck—and I hear the light jingle of spurs. Gets my heart going.

“Guess I didn’t need to go that far,” Nathan says, smiling, as he walks back in.

Chris is standing behind him, worried as all hell and trying not to show it.

“’Bout time you woke up,” he says, hat in his hand. He’s shifting on his feet like a boy come courting.

Don’t I wish.

Nathan grins and slaps Chris on the back with a look in his eyes that’s all mischief. Wonder what that’s about? “If you don’t mind looking after him for a bit, I could use something to eat.”

“Bring me a steak or something while you’re at it,” I gripe. Damn, I’m hungry.

“Afraid you won’t be eating much solid for a few days, Vin,” he says as he walks out.

“Damn tyrant is what he is,” I mutter, watching Chris carefully as he moves to sit next to the bed. There’s a look in his eyes I ain’t sure I’ve seen before.

Least in the waking world…

Hell, I got a bad feeling I been talking out of turn.

The silence goes on ‘til I can’t stand it no more. Must have been fair off my skull to put him in this state. But given what I was thinking in that damn mineshaft, I can imagine what I must’ve said. I don’t know that he’ll be willing to let that slide.

“Reckon I must’ve said something while I was out of my head, huh, Cowboy?”

He jumps a little and I snort at the fear and guilt in his eyes.

“Don’t worry, Larabee, I ain’t come after you yet. Sure as hell not gonna do it now.” I take a deep breath and pray. “Figure maybe we can just pretend I never said nothing? Go on the way we been doing it?”

I can’t look at his face. He won’t kick me out of here, and I won’t leave regardless. Four Corners is my home now, and he’s gonna have to deal with it. It’ll pain me to see him every day, work with him, but I can do it…

“Maybe I don’t want to go on that way,” he says quietly. Too quiet. I look and see something open and terrified in his eyes.

Starts me smiling.

“You reckon?” I ask, holding my breath for his answer.

He takes a long moment and a deep breath and grins at me that way that sets my groin to aching.

“Yeah,” he whispers, settling back and putting a hand over mine on my belly. “I reckon.”

That smile of his ain’t a bad thing to chase you into sleep, I guess, as I close my eyes and look forward to waking again.

Ain’t a bad thing at all…

* * * * * * *  
The End

**Author's Note:**

> hc_bingo prompt: Hallucination


End file.
